LATEST ISSUE

The final AJ of the year looks back at the past 12 months and forward to the year ahead. We review 2018’s key architectural events and trends and preview the stories set to dominate the new year. We also pick out the people to watch in 2019 and highlight eight key buildings set to complete. And to make sure you’ve been paying attention, there’s a Christmas quiz on the events that shook the architectural world in 2018 and a chance to play spot the building. PLUS a building study of Karakusevic ..

Sitting on the edge of Italy’s Lake Garda, the 78,000m² resort includes a pair of villas designed by Chipperfield, another by Meier, three villas by Austrian practice Sphere, and a club house with five apartments designed by Milan-based Matteo Thun.

Chipperfield’s most northerly four-bedroom villa includes a 700m² living area, with a separate guest house, while the second villa features two buildings arranged around a pool.

The 1,050m² clubhouse also contains a spa, restaurant, and library.

Work on the €65 million development, by Austrian developer Sigma Group, began in 2012 and is set to complete early next year.

Chipperfield’s designs for the east villa

The architect’s view: Richard Meier

The residence sits on an east facing slope opening south towards Lake Garda and prominently located on a site that offers unique views of the water, the city center and the surrounding areas.

The villas’ visual relationship with the local context, the direction of the sun, and its position along a steep slope are key factors that have played a central role in the design. As a design strategy, two rectangular solids were placed perpendicular to one another and then arranged on top of each other running parallel and crosswise to the slope of the terrain.

The living room and bedrooms are located within the top volume. This volume is placed perpendicularly to the slope to maximize the views toward the lake and also to take advantage of southern exposure and natural light. In contrast, the lower base like volume consists of a garage which is positioned parallel to the slope, opening up towards the access road. These volumes are then lifted apart from one another creating an intermediate level, which serves at the main entrance.

Every level has access to outside terraces with different orientations depending on their program, ultimately providing the users with varying views and privacy.

Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas has criticised Italy’s national institute of architects for failing to recognise his wife and business partner Doriana after it awarded a lifetime achievement award solely to him

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